The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser – in case you thought optimism was dead.
Robert Brault

different mind sets play more than we may ever know but like they say, “if everything you’re doing is turning out right you’re not trying very hard.” this goes against the idea of the midas touch and what is called a fixed mind-set, the belief that you’re artistic intrinsically, via genetics, etc and thus don’t need to work at what you do as it just comes. the other side of the coin is a growth mind-set that is set against this ‘talent myth’. the current science view is that we are born with

the latest in his assault on our wits of reasoning, new yorker writer malcolm gladwell has put together a red hot (#1 on nyt business booklist) tome on the story of success. a real eye opener it’s chock full of examples + evidence of his theories on what makes individuals rise above. essentially he comes up with the argument that those of us, in any field, that want to be on top 1) work much, much harder than everyone else + 2) employ a developed sense of practical intelligence along with a bit of luck + a few good opportunities. what follows are some of my favorite lines.

in discussing a study done in the early 1990′s by psychologist k anders ericsson with two colleagues at berlin’s elite academy of music….

the striking thing about ericsson’s study is that he + his colleagues couldn’t find any ‘naturals‘, musicians who floated effortlessly to the top while practicing a fraction of the time their peers did. nor could they find any ‘grinds,’ people who worked harder than everyone else, yet just didn’t have what it takes to break the top ranks. their research suggests that once a musician has enough ability to get into a top music school, the thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works. that’s it. and what’s more, the people at the very top don’t work just harder or even much harder than everyone else. they work much, much harder.

if that doesn’t summarize just about everything about success then i’m a donkey’s arse. the next bit is good though too and just as applicable.

the particular skill that allows you to talk your way out of a murder rap, or convince your professor to move you from the morning to afternoon sections is what the psychologist robert sternberg calls “practical intelligence.” to sternberg, practical intelligence includes things like “knowing what to say to whom, knowing when to say it, and knowing how to say it for maximum effect.” it is procedural: it is about knowing how to do something without necessarily knowing why you know it or being about to explain it. it’s practical in nature: that is, it’s not knowledge for its own sake. it’s knowledge that helps you read situations correctly and get what you want.

this idea is so prevalent in most successful people that it should be a skill mandated in school or whatever path you take to get to be a busy photographer though i’m sure there’s little way to teach it. in this vein, i think it’s the intangible “turns” be they skills, abilities, opportunities or whatever, that shape anyone’s success. use every asset at your disposal + use it as wisely as possible. with a pinch of timing + gold fortune everything just might work out.

back to our first subject of hard work, gladwell continues on a path of illustrating that work for work’s sake is not an end that most desire. it must have something behind it. he demonstrates how it’s not entirely about money + concludes that work with “complexity, autonomy and a relationship between effort + reward in doing creative work…. is worth more to most of us than money”. in other words, + i find this spot on with running your own creative business regardless of the size,

“hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning. once it does, it becomes the kind of thing that makes you grab your wife around the waist and dance a jig.”

and lastly, not giving up our theme du jour of the sheer amount of work involved with success is the chinese quote that gladwell uses towards the end of the book.

“no one who can rise before dawn three hundred sixty days a year fails to make his family rich.”

now if you’ll excuse me, i gotta get back to work …

one of the most beneficial though least talked about skills that really shows a measure of a visually involved person is the ability to edit work. and by far the toughest part of that job is editing one’s own work.

this is not a skill that can easily be taught or absorbed but rather is refined over time. there are no hard and fast rules but you will notice guidelines and trends the more you do it. as your self editing skills are tied directly to the work you pursue you won’t see a rise in one without the other. and as you are the one producing and editing the work it is far too often a conflict of interests as your story, or more precisely, the story of the image is drawn into your conscience by merely seeing the work.

after i moved back to the states 10 years ago i had a bulk of slides to sort through but as much of my work was then unpublished my editing had no direction. it took me years to find a market that i felt passionate about and then learn what that field needed and didn’t have. the eye is a funny tool that definitely ages well with time.

this is another reason that i’m an advocate of keeping ALL your work around, personal and otherwise, as you never know when you’ll be reviewing old jobs and find that gem. i’ve done this numerous times and only miss the thousands of slides i jettisoned during that cross pacific move a decade ago.

in case you’re wondering what brought this thought about, i was reflecting on an image (below) that i have in the exposure section of outside magazine this month. though i truly am attracted to that moment in time it leaves me wondering about another ski image that is similar but has remained unlicensed. they both are winter shots, both feature at least one person skinning uphill, both are in stunning landscapes + both are even in canada. why is it that one is more marketable than the other? i have always considered the ‘lesser valued’ image (above) one of all time favorites. is it the work involved, the backstory that creates that personal bond? does that bond affect your editing? does photography require us to remain uninvolved with our subjects to portray them fairly?

if you ever get a chance to sit down with an accomplished pe let me know what they say.

I’m not sure exactly why, though I’d guess that it stems from an overt sense of US self-importance, but every time the subject comes up of living near the northern border or working north of the border you get that look like you just ran into a wall. Even some of the most well intentioned individuals I know make asses out of themselves with their lack of knowledge and awareness of Canada. In complete disclosure I am actually half Canadian myself and have more family there then anywhere else in the world though unfortunately don’t know them. Regardless, it’s a shame with what little gusto we as ‘creatives’ pursue projects and work northward.

Photography, being the way it is, leads you down many paths. The variety of locales that you find yourself required to head always keeps things interesting. And I’ve found this especially true across the border as I

Earth Day mentions for this green week:

First of all, a handful of ideas I touched on back in 10.2007 here including writing in green causes as line items. And if you’re into the work of recent Rowell Award winner James Balog, then this post on Glacier National Park photography I previously alluded to is right up your alley.

Closer to me personally is my video point man Nico Hudak. Brilliant with motion and capable of creativity beyond mere mortals Nico is a great collaborator. We have a great things in store. While you can check out his work anytime here, inline with the cause of the week check out his documentary Triple Bottom Line (above). If you’re unfamiliar with the phrase check it out and start making it work. The NY Times Magazine even brings it up this week.

The photo community has it’s green fill via the pdnonline segment, “Shooting For Green Agencies” though you have to have a subscription (not a bad idea). More in the feature story, “Paint It Green” in PDN’s April 2008 issue.

Lastly, for all you trend setters in this week of looking ahead, don’t forget to pay attention to the future … or at least don’t ignore those who have.